A Bloom in the Sky
by SmilingChipmunk
Summary: Clear takes Aoba onto the rooftop, and they talk about the future of two jellyfish.


Disclaimer: I do not own DMMd, noononoonono the legendary Nitro+ does!

AN: Ah ahahahahaahasdhasodalf So I got into DMMd in my spare time and fell in love with it like crazy and just felt compelled to write this after Clear's end in Re:connect, good and bad! There may be spoilers? It feels a little rushed in my opinion, but I don't think I can afford to spend any more time on it as I'm delaying homework to write ahahahahahahahaah killmeplease

I really hope you enjoy it, I think Clear is just the sweetest, even though he's not my favourite per se, but his route is definitely the saddest and will make me cry many times over.

* * *

"Aoba-san, be careful!" Clear held out a hand to help Aoba up the opening in the ceiling onto the roof. Aoba took it gratefully, letting himself be pulled up through the gap. He didn't know what had possessed Clear, but in the middle of doing some final clean ups outside his grandpa's shack as night settled, he had taken a hand out of his glove and raised it to the air, before enthusiastically beckoning Aoba back into the house. Aoba had been confused, especially at the pillow Clear brought along, but who was he to refuse such an excited looking Clear? As a warm breath escaped from his lips as mist into the cold night air, Clear beckoned him over.

He shivered as a brisk night wind ran through his body and pulled the jacket around himself closer. They were standing on the rickety roof of Clear's grandpa's house, and Clear grabbed Aoba's hand to gently lead him to a small smooth area, putting down the long pillow and sitting cross legged on it.

"Please sit here, Aoba-san." Clear gestured excitedly, patting the space on the pillow beside him. So that's what the pillow was for.

"What are we doing up here, Clear?" he asked, still very confused, but sat down nonetheless. The view was average, he supposed, but what were you expecting from a house in the middle of a garbage dump? He peered out at the dark, outlined shapes of abandoned cars, barrels and miscellaneous items on the horizon.

"Just wait a second…" Clear held his hand up to the sky again and tilted his head, as if listening for something. "Now!" A sudden gust of strong wind ran across the dump from behind them, and Aoba hugged his knees close as his hair whipped out from behind him and the cold stung the back of his neck.

"U-um..." Aoba tilted his head as the wind ceased, not sure what exactly just happened or what he had been waiting for. He looked at Clear, and followed the happy gaze upwards, and for a moment, he forgot all about the cold. The wind had cleared the sky of the dusty clouds of pollution that usually hung over this area, and he noticed, the smell too, of decay and rust was gone. Now, without the lights of the city to obscure and affect the visibility of the sky, this little house, surrounded by darkness, was illuminated by the countless stars from above. The smattering of softly twinkling pricks of light filled the vast, dark space that was usually hidden by smog. The moon was a crescent today, but as bright as ever as it cast a pale white light onto Aoba's skin. "Wow…! Clear, this is beautiful-" Aoba turned to the other male, but was cut off by this other, just as, if not more exceptionally beautiful sight sitting beside him. The moonlight made Clear's skin even paler, a perfect, unblemished porcelain, and the silver white hair was practically luminous as the light reflected off it. His pink eyes took on a silver shade, and as incredibly tacky and corny as it sounded, Aoba would have believed it if someone told him the person sitting beside him was an angel. Afraid to even breathe, lest the sigh stir away the image in front of him, Aoba just stared. Before he knew it, Aoba reached out to touch the flawless and smooth skin along Clear's cheek. Clear blinked, which turned into a smile as he raised a hand to cup Aoba's against the warm, tinged with cold cheek.

"My grandpa would often take me out here when the weather conditions were right, and taught me about the constellations. He said he wanted to share it with someone special…" Clear trailed off, smiling gently as he leaned into Aoba's hand, "and I wanted to do that too."

"Clear…" Aoba whispered, returning the gentle smile as the words sank him. It was these moments that made it so obvious, so obvious that Clear was as human as anyone could possibly be with an artificial body. "Thank you." Another softer, but still cold wind blew across the roof, ruffling Aoba's hair and sending shivers down his back. A sudden adjustment from Clear made the pillow shift, and Aoba was suddenly engulfed by sudden warmth. Clear had moved to sit behind him, so that his back was nestled comfortably into a rather cosy chest, with Clear's jacket and arms wrapped around his shoulders.

"You looked cold, Aoba-san. Is it better now?" Clear asked from behind him, and Aoba couldn't even bring himself to be embarrassed at the fact he was almost sitting in the other man's lap. It was so warm and comfortable, and he was surrounded by Clear's soothing scent and presence, making his body and mind relax naturally.

"Yeah, it's really warm." Aoba smiled fondly, leaning back into Clear's chest and gently resting a hand on top of the one around his shoulders.

"Is that so? Then I'm happy!" Clear said cheerfully, a smile evident in his voice. "Aoba-san, do you see that?" Clear raised a hand to the sky, connecting the stars into a shape with his fingertip.

"Ah, I do…is that…"Aoba trailed off, not actually knowing what it was.

"That's Virgo! And over here, do you see that?" Clear enthusiastically pointed, his body following his energetic arms. Aoba chuckled at the childish excitement the white haired man exhibited, nodding along as Clear pointed out various constellations. The sky remained blissfully cloudless, and as the night progressed, the stars only became more bright.

* * *

"Ah! There it is!" Clear's voice reached a new height in excitement, and Aoba glanced at the expanse of dark blue, smattered with pricks of light, "the jellyfish!"

"A-ah…" Aoba stammered, squinting at the vague shape Clear drew out in the sky, "is there such a thing as a jellyfish constellation?"

"There is, Aoba-san! You just have to look hard, see?" Clear insisted, and Aoba laughed again, still seeing just a random assortment of stars. "It's a bloom of jellyfish!"

"Bloom…?" Aoba tilted his head upwards, giving Clear a questioning look.

"A group of jellyfish, Aoba-san! Isn't it amazing? It's like they're all swimming across the sky together!" Clear broke out into an excited smile again, and Aoba looked back at the sky.

…Actually, that packed little area of stars…did kind of look like what he thought a group-well, bloom of-glowing jellyfish would look like.

"Haha, I guess you're right," Aoba chuckled again. They fell silent, watching the group of stars. The changing colours of dark blue to black to almost vibrant areas of cyan in the sky did remind Aoba of the ocean, with specks of life littered all throughout the shimmering expanse.

"Did you know that there's a type of jellyfish that lives forever, Aoba-san?" Clear suddenly spoke up, voice quiet and a little softer than before. Aoba stayed silent, even though it was a seemingly innocent question, the underlying meaning of Clear's words made Aoba's heart clench a little. "That's kind of amazing, isn't it? I wonder if it also swims in a bloom…otherwise, I think it'd be very lonely."

"I think it would definitely find friends!" Aoba blurted out, feeling a little flustered in his hurry to continue, "I mean, the sea is a pretty big place and with all kinds of species and…stuff like that…" he trailed off, feeling like a bit of an idiot. A jellyfish making friends, what was he on about? Clear's arms tightened slightly around his shoulders.

"Do you think a blue jellyfish would come and stay with it?" Clear asked gently, an almost tender tone to his voice. The flustered feeling Aoba had been experiencing drained from his body in an instant, and Aoba sat up seriously, turning around onto his knees to face Clear. He was closer to the pale skinned man than he expected, and if he leaned forward, he could easily rest his forehead against the other male's.

"I do," Aoba said quietly, but with a determined undertone. Clear blinked, a little taken aback, but recovered quickly with a happy smile.

"Then I think it would be very happy."

"…But…" Aoba hesitated, a pressing matter on his mind. It wasn't something they had particularly talked about, while they had both agreed on what their future held. Some insecurities Aoba had wouldn't settle, and this seemed to be the right time to properly talk about it. "I don't think the blue jellyfish can live forever. No matter how much it wants to."

Clear's jaw tightened ever so slightly, and Aoba cut him off as he immediately tried to reply. "I think it would be happy to spend what time it had with the other jellyfish, though. But, do…do you think that even when the blue jellyfish gets a little slow, and forgetful, and didn't…" Aoba had to take a pause in the sentence to take a breath, his heart clenching a little painfully in his chest, "...shine as bright a blue it used to, would the other jellyfish still be willing stay?" His hands clenched tightly, Aoba stared unwaveringly into the gentle pink eyes of the taller man. He had never doubted the feelings Clear held towards him, like he had never doubted the feelings he himself held towards Clear. It was just that, undeniably, their future was going to be painful, and he didn't blame Clear if he didn't want to experience that. He just had to make sure. The tension left his hands as surprise took over him instead. The look on Clear's face had turned to relief by the end of Aoba's question, and without a delay, his hands cupped Aoba's face, and a soft, gentle butterfly kiss landed on the tip of his nose.

"Aoba-san, that's an easy question!" Clear smiled, "the only reason the jellyfish would ever, ever, _ever_ leave the blue jellyfish is if it that was what the blue jellyfish wanted."

"Clear…" Aoba felt the corners of his eyes grow dangerously hot and blinked rapidly.

"And even then, I don't think it would leave." Clear nodded, in affirmation of himself. "The clear jellyfish loves the blue jellyfish, after all."

Aoba's breath hitched in his throat, and he sought out a haven on Clear's shoulder, wrapping his arms around the warm torso. It was a weird feeling that filled his chest, a mixture of fear and sadness, for what the future held, yet it was all drowned out by this peaceful wave of happiness and pure love for the person he held in his arms.

"I love you, Clear." Aoba knew words weren't enough to convey this feeling, but it would have to suffice for now.

"Ah, Aoba-san! I thought we were sticking to the jellyfish!" Clear seemed almost panicked that the analogy had been dropped, as if that would make it too personal and painful. Aoba couldn't help but giggle into Clear's shoulder, pulling back to kiss the man rather forcefully, and then leaving a gentle kiss on the two moles against the pale chin.

"The blue jellyfish really, really loves the clear jellyfish." Aoba smiled sincerely, the pure joy on Clear's face causing his heart to melt, "and I think the blue jellyfish would like to stay tonight on the roof. With the clear jellyfish." Aoba blushed at this for some reason, settling back down into Clear's lap.

"Yes, Aoba-san! I think it would like that very much." Clear's chin rested itself on Aoba's head, and true to its word, the blue jellyfish stayed with the clear jellyfish for the rest of the night on the roof, and would continue to stay with the clear jellyfish the day after, and the next, and the next.

* * *

Even when the blue jellyfish got a little slow, and forgetful, and didn't shine as bright a blue as it used to, the clear jellyfish stayed. And they were happy, even knowing there would be a day where the clear jellyfish would have to swim alone, because the blue jellyfish was happy that it could spend every day until its last with the clear jellyfish, and the clear jellyfish would remember its days with the blue jellyfish as the happiest days of its long, long, life.

* * *

AN: Ahsiodh;sfad I'm sorry for the lame story ;_; But thank you very much for reading! I'll just retreat back into my fangirl hole now :)


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